Development size of female bristle nose and growth maturity ?

had a trip to a local reputable LFS yesterday...

and when I was walking round I noticed they had a variety of female bristlenose fish-varying from £3.90 - £8.50

however when asking the owner how old they were he said about 4 months old-though the one at £3.90 was about 3 inches, and the others at £8.50 were about 4-5 inches.

The larger ones were much longer and bigger, though clearly female BN.

I did question him about the ages and sizes and he advised me that they were the same batch of fish bought from a local breeder who breeds all his plecos in 4ft tanks.

Obviously growth rates tend to vary between set ups, but in my limited breeding experience have you ever come across standard female BN that grow to 5inches in the first 4 months.

In my 3ft tanks nearly all my BN are less than 2inch in the first 4 months.

I am contemplating going back and getting that cheap female at £3.90 as my help my breeding stocks :-)

many thanks in advance...

LJ

I agree that even reaching 2inch in four months is exceptional, they must be older, if not I'd love to know what they were fed on

£3.90 for a 3inch from an LFS is a bargain, the LFS near me thay all charge at least £4.99 for fish as small as 1/2inch to an inch.

does seem to be a fast grower, def faster than any i have had!

I would suggest that it is one from a previous spawn that the breeder missed. I do that all the time and the result is the fish shops gets a 4 months old bristlenose for the price of a 2 month old. they love it!

this lfs has been in business for over 35 years and he prices quite good most of the time...

he even sells panda cory at £2.50 which is the cheapest i know of....

he as some lovely gibbiceps in at the minute at £4.50, though they about 2.5inches,
and they almost look like baby king tigers but a kinda leopard effect....

the female BN he as in are about 4-5 inches and he selling those at £8.50- thats a little more than i paid before
but could be worth it if they breed....

he does have two females in at £3.90 which i may go back for on thursday then my breeding programme will
be under way.... and one of those male giibi's would be suited to my albino female i suppose....

can a normal gibbie mate with a female albino... never heard of it before, though I am fairly new to breeding the BN